BIOL 5

Biology for Health Sciences

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION TO
BIOLOGY
Jennie Mae Anne T. Rodil, LPT
What is Biology?
● It comes from the Greek words bios and logus which means life and to
study respectively.

● The science of life

● The study of living things

BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology

What is Biology?
● It deals with the investigation of the origin, history, structure, function,
identification, classification, distribution, development, inheritance and
significance of living things as well as their relationships and
interactions with the environment

BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology

CHAPTER I

HOW SCIENCE WAS

DEVELOPED?
How was science developed?
● During the time of Copernicus to Newton, the focused was physical
science.

BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology

How was science developed?

Andreas Vesalius (1543) – 16th century Flemish anatomist, physician and

author of one of the most influential books on human anatomy, De humani
corporis fabrica libri septem (On the Fabric of the Human Body)
BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology
How was science developed?
Harvey (1628) – Circulation of Malpighi (1661) – Blood capillaries
blood

BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology

How was science developed?
● Robert Hooke (1665) – Cell ● Anton van Leeuwenhoek
(1674) - Microscopy

BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology

How was science developed?
● Theodor Schwann (1838), Matthias Schleiden (1839) and Rudolf
Virchow (1858) – Cell Theory

BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology

CHAPTER I

METHOD OF
BIOLOGY
SCIENTIFIC METHOD
● This simplified flow diagram of
the scientific method shows the
important components involved
in a scientific study.

BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology

SCIENTIFIC METHOD
● First is the observation phase, where new observations are made.

○This is also the time where previous data are examined.

● Next, a hypothesis is formulated to attempt to explain the available
data and observations.

○ A hypothesis must be testable!!!

BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology

SCIENTIFIC METHOD
● Hypothesis:

○ Potential answers to questions being asked.

○ Derived from prior observations of nature or from theories based

on such observations.

○ Often constitute general statements about nature that may

explain a large number of diverse observations.

○ If a hypothesis is very powerful in explaining a wide variety of

related phenomena, it attains the level of a theory.
BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology
SCIENTIFIC METHOD
● The hypothesis is then tested through a series of experiments and/or
observations.

○ These experiments and observations must be repeatable!

○ The factual information resulting from these experiments and

observations are called data.

○ An important part of an experiment is the control, which is a

replicate set up exactly like the experiment, except it does not
have the factor being tested.
BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology
SCIENTIFIC METHOD
● Scientists can then draw a conclusion based on the data.

○ The conclusion may involve accepting or rejecting the initial

hypothesis.

○ Further experiments may require an adjustment to the

conclusions.

■ Hypotheses are said to be supported, but not proven.

BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology

SCIENTIFIC METHOD
● New hypotheses are generated from the conclusions, and the process
starts again.
● A theory results when a group of related hypotheses are supported by
many experiments and observations.

○ Theories are the ideas that scientists are MOST SURE OF!

■ Theory of gravity

■ Theory of natural selection

BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology

CHAPTER I

BRANCHES OF
BIOLOGY
Branches of Biology According to method or aspect of study

BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology

Branches of Biology According to type of organism

BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology

CHAPTER I

UNIFYING THEORIES
OF BIOLOGY
CELL THEORY
● Schleiden (1838), Schwann (1839) & Virchow (1858)

○ “All organisms are made up of cells”

○ “Cells comes from pre-existing cells”

○ “Cell is the basic unit of life”

BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology

BIOGENESIS (PASTEUR, 1865)
● “Life comes only from life”

BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology

HOMEOSTASIS (BERNARD, 1858)
● “The internal environment remains within a normal range”

BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology

EVOLUTION (DARWIN, 1858)
● “All living things have a common ancestor and are adapted to a
particular way of life”

BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology

GENE
● Mendel, 1866; Wilkins, Franklin, Watson & Crick, 1953

● “Organisms contain coded information that dictates their structure,

function and behavior”

BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology

CHAPTER I

CHARACTERISTICS
OF LIVING THINGS
METABOLISM
● All chemical and energy transformations
that occur in cells as they carry out life’s
processes

● Anabolism (building up process)

● Catabolism (breaking down process)

● Important to maintain their organization

and to grow and reproduce.

BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology

GROWTH
● Increase in size

● Accomplished through a
complex series of chemical
processes

BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology

IRRITABILITY
● Ability to react to any
environmental change or
stimulus that often results in
movement

● Another response is when an

organism find energy and
nutrients

BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology

REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT
● Life only comes from life

● In order for life to continue, living

things must be able to produce
other living things of their kind

● Reproduction can be asexual or

sexual

BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology

ADAPTATION
● Refers to modifications that promote
the likelihood of survival

● Living things not suited to a new

conditions either move to a better
environment or change (Evolution)

● Change cannot occur in one

generation but over many
generations

● Results into unity and diversity of life

BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology

ORGANIZATION
● Parts of living things are arranged in a particular way

● There are levels of biological organization - biochemical, structural,

physiological and ecological organization.

BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology

ASSIMILATION
● Process of converting non-living
inorganic and organic molecules
into living cell that can be done
inside a living cell

BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology

DEFINITE FORM AND SIZE
● Living things produce offspring
similar to themselves
● All organisms belonging to the
same species are alike with
certain degree of variations or
differences

BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology

DEFINITE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
● All organisms are basically made
up of similar inorganic (water,
salts, minerals, gasses) and
organic molecule (carbohydrates,
lipids, proteins, nucleic acids)

BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology

CHAPTER I

HOW DOES LIFE

ORIGINATED?
COSMOZOIC OR INTERPLANETARY THEORY
● A protoplasm in the form of a
resistant spore originated from
outer planets propelled by
radiation pressure
● The spore reached the earth and
started the first form of life

BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology

PHILOSOPHICAL THEORY OF ETERNITY
● Life has no beginning and no

end; life has been here right from

the very beginning of time.

BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology

ABIOGENESIS OR THEORY OF SPONTANEOUS
GENERATION
● Life originated spontaneously

from non-living things

● Francesco Redi and Louis

Pasteur disapproved this theory

BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology

BIG BANG THEORY
● Physico-chemical or
Cosmological Theory
● Developed by G. Gamow and R.
Alpher in 1940s
● Heavily bodies originated from
the explosion of a hot rotating
ball of gas and eventually life
was formed from the chemical
evolution of different compounds
present in the primitive earth
BIOL 5 Introduction to Biology